Sunday, December 22, 2013

Proposed Removal of Confederate Officers Pictures

I am writing to you in regards to the proposed removal of pictures of Confederate officers from the US Army College.

Before taking a knee jerk reaction to appease the wishes and supposed sensitivities of a small minority, I would ask that you first consider the following actions of two former US Presidents in regards to Confederate soldiers, as well as my personal thoughts (as a member of a minority), that being an American Indian.

Firstly " Every soldier's grave made during our unfortunate civil war [sic] is a tribute to American valor… And the time has now come… when in the spirit of fraternity we should share in the care of the graves of the Confederate soldiers… and if it needed further justification it is found in the gallant loyalty to the Union and the flag so conspicuously shown in the year just passed by the sons and grandsons of those heroic dead." …President William McKinley, 14 December 1898.

Secondly On the 23 of May 1958, the Eisenhower administration made Confederates full U.S. citizens with all the privileges & benefits as all American Veterans with Public Law 85-425: Sec 410.

Lastly I come from a lineage of military veterans that began before the American Revolution. I have three ancestors (documented) that served in the Colonial forces of the American Revolution, and have had at least one ancestor who served in every war and/or police action up to and including the War in Afghanistan that goes on to this very day.

Having said that, I would like to be a bit more specific by relating the fact that I have (documented) near two dozen ancestors who fought in the WBTS. Like much of this nation's populace at that time, my family split and fought on both sides. So tragic was that war; pitting fathers against sons , brothers against brothers, Americans against Americans. It simply is wrong to honour one side and not the other as well and equally.

As a mix blood American Indian, my heart is weary that there are pictures of some of the Federal officers at the Army College, either ordered, or who personally turned their weapons on innocent women and children, during the so called Indian Wars of the plains. Yet, you hear no request from me to remove said officers' pictures, for as I said earlier, honour all represented sides equally.

I make a slight apology for the length of this communication yet, I assure I could find no way to condense my words considering the seriousness of this subject.